


If I Die Before I Wake

by NewTimelineNewMe



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Babies first crossover fic, Crossover, Drug Addict Klaus Hargreeves, Gen, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Klaus Hargreeves Needs A Hug, Supernatural Elements, Vampires, im so excited for this one yall, irregular updates, like seriously I’m not gonna abandon this fic but I might go months between updates, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-08-10
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:27:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25702813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NewTimelineNewMe/pseuds/NewTimelineNewMe
Summary: “Hey, what about...this town?” Klaus asked him, placing his finger on the map without looking.“W-Sunnydale?” Ben asked, raising an eyebrow. “Sounds like it’s full of hippies.”“I like hippies,” Klaus whined. “Plus it’s better than,” He squinted at the map, “I don’t know, LA? Less murder, I’d guess.”“Then LA, or then home?”“Both, I’d say.”-or-The btvs crossover that no one asked for
Relationships: Ben Hargreeves & Klaus Hargreeves, Buffy Summers & Joyce Summers, Rupert Giles & Buffy Summers, The Scoobies - Relationship
Comments: 6
Kudos: 85





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for joining me on this ride! So excited for this fic!
> 
> This takes place when both Buffy and Klaus are seventeen, which means we’re in season three of Buffy. I’m going to start at the episode 45 “Gingerbread”, and that’ll start next chapter!

Klaus was leaving. He didn’t know where he was going, but he knew he couldn’t stay in that house anymore.

Not if he wanted to stay sane. 

Vanya had already left. Got a full ride scholarship to some fancy music school on the coast, and had left without a second thought. Not that Klaus blamed her, really, but it was just so...sudden. She probably thought they wouldn’t even notice, which is fair, but-Klaus had noticed. 

And without Vanya, Klaus had no reason to stay. 

He was almost eighteen, anyways, and then ol’ Reggie wouldn’t have any legal claim over him. Klaus would be free, able to go anywhere. Do anything.

People say Cali looks nice this time of year.

“Hey, pay attention.” A voice said, snapping him out of his head. 

“Hmn?” Klaus blinked, looking over to Ben, who was gesturing at Reginald, who was staring at him disappointed. 

“Dozing off during a lecture about your terrible habits.” Reginald said with a frown. “Why am I not surprised.” 

“I’m not sure, pops, but uh...” Klaus racked his brain for an excuse to get out of the conversation. “You, uh, got any cash on you?”

He scoffed. “I can’t believe your intolerance, Number Four. Leave my office.”

“So is that a no? Yes?” Klaus asked, driving the nail further in.

“Get out!” His adopter roared. 

Klaus did just that, racing out to his room before Reggie decided he deserved punishments. Ben shook his head at Klaus, who shrugged in response. Klaus grabbed at a box under his bed, opening it to reveal several baggies inside. He chose one at random and took two, raising an eyebrow at Ben when the ghost shook his head. If he hated it so much, he could stop Klaus himself.

“Hey, Ben,” Klaus said. “I know we were gonna wait ‘till we’re all legal and junk, but how about we just leave right now?”

Ben frowned. “That’s a terrible idea, Klaus.”

“What?” Klaus mock-asked. “You think it’s a great idea? Hey, I do too! We should totally do that.”

“ _Klaus_.” Ben said, crossing his arms.

“Hey, do you know where my suitcase is?” Klaus asked, looking around. “It’s probably in my closet, right?”

“On the top shelf,” Ben told him, “But I still think you need to wait.”

“How much money do you think I can get off of daddy dear?” Klaus wondered out loud. “Do you think I could get Pogo to open my bank account early?”

“You can always ask before you leave,” Ben reasoned. “Although that should be a couple months from now.”

“Maybe I should just ditch.” Klaus mused, half stuck in his messy closet. “Don’t even worry about taking stuff with me.” 

“You’ll need clothes and things,” Ben said with rising panic. “Money to sustain yourself.”

“Meh.” Klaus walked back out of his closet, now sporting a feather boa. “Overthrow capitalism, all that jazz.” 

“Klaus, you need to take things with you.” Ben insisted. “What’ll you do in the winter?”

“Well, by then, I’ll be rich and famous, living it up in Hollywood with Allison.” He struck a pose. “I’ve always wanted a modeling career.” 

Ben sighed, recognizing that Klaus was joking now. “You couldn’t handle it.”

“Please, like you’ve had so much experience.” Klaus teased, rolling his eyes. “I’m better looking than you, anyways.”

This time it was Ben who rolled his eyes, although he didn’t exactly disagree. “You have to stay.” 

“Meh. By the time Reggie cares enough to look for me, we’ll be eighteen anyways.” Klaus said, slinging the boa into his suitcase. “You can’t say I’m wrong.”

Ben sighed, because he really couldn’t. It was no secret their father didn’t care about them at all, Klaus especially. “Just...be smart about what you pack, okay? See if you can bum a couple of knives off of Diego.”

“I think he’d kill me,” Klaus said with a smirk. “Can’t run away if I’m dead, right?”

“You wound me.” Ben held his hands to his heart. Klaus’ smile dropped from his face, and he turned back to the bag, starting to drop his drugs inside. Ben winced. Every time he made a joke about being dead, Klaus got all...weird. 

“You...” Klaus twisted his face in the way that meant he was thinking. “You don’t...have to come with me.” 

“What?” Ben asked, confused. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“Well...” Klaus bit his lip apprehensively. “I know I’m not your...first choice of sibling to hang around. Like, ever. So if you wanted to go, I don’t know, haunt Vanya at her fancy music school, I wouldn’t stop you.” Klaus looked to the ground, as if expecting a rejection.

“Klaus, are you forgetting the part where you’re the only one who can see me?” Ben snarked. “You’re probably the only reason I haven’t gone insane yet.” His face softened. “Besides, why would I ditch you?”

“Cause you like the others better.” Klaus mumbled.

“Five’s...Vanya’s off at her school, and I’m not as close with any of the others.” _And now he’ll never get the chance to be_. 

“So...you’re not leaving, then?” Klaus looked at him, something akin to hope in his eyes.

“Not unless you do something like, really stupid.” Ben agreed, trying to lighten the mood.

“Can’t promise anything.” Klaus sang. He went back to packing more clothes, although it was as if something heavy had been lifted off of Klaus’ shoulders, something that Ben hadn’t even noticed was there.

Klaus started to hum some odd tune Ben barely recognized as he stuffed more things in there, Ben able to convince him to pack a couple books as well. 

Eventually, the case was full, but Ben could see Klaus’ regret as he looked around the room at things he wasn’t able to fit in. “C’mon,” He said, snapping the two out of their state. “Let’s go get some money off of Diego, huh?”

—————

“Where are we going?” Ben asked as Klaus smiled at the bus driver, hopping in the furthest seat to the back. It was still grey outside, the fresh scent of dew and gas in the air. 

Klaus shrugged, still not fully awake. “California, I guess.”

“Furthest away you can get, huh.” Ben said. It really was, seeing as Klaus didn’t have a passport and he couldn’t exactly ask for one, considering that the person he’d have to ask was the very person he was running away from. 

“Yeah.” Klaus agreed. “Plus, it just feels... _right_ , you know? Like I’m...supposed to go there.”

“I-“ Ben went to tell him he was full of shit, but he couldn’t, not really, seeing as he felt the same way. The terror that ditching everything you’ve ever known should have brought didn’t seem all that big, not really, not when compared to the excitement that the idea of California brought. “Where will we go, anyways?” 

“I’ll see when we get there, I guess.” Klaus said. “Daddy dearest’s money could set us up in _any_ shitty apartment we want!” He smiled, drawing strange looks from the other passengers.

“What if he tracks the card?” Ben asked, realizing that that was a possibility. 

Klaus frowned. “Dad wouldn’t care that much.” He glanced at Ben, now looking a little fearful. “Would he?”

“I…I don’t know.” Ben admitted. “But we could withdraw money, right?”

Klaus hummed. “I could. Have my own bank account, although I’d have to get a fake ID. I mean,” He quickly added, noting the glances of the other passengers. “Uh, little sister loves her spy games.” 

Ben raised his eyebrow at Klaus. “Little sister?” 

Klaus glared at him, trying to shoot him a _I’ll talk to you later when the people around me won’t think I’m crazy_ look. Ben got the message, and the rest of the ride was silent. 

“John F. Kennedy Airport, final stop.” The bus driver said over the intercom. Klaus stood up, holding his suitcase close. The other passengers did the same, starting to filter out of the bus. One walked right through Ben and he shuddered, still not quite used to the feeling.

“C’mon,” He said to Klaus, who was starting to look nervous. “Let’s get to our plane.”

“Okay.” Okay, he could do this. Everything was fine, right? Yeah.

He walked through the airport, Ben trailing behind him. People were moving all around, and there were ghosts all over the place, most following other people. Klaus took a deep breath and unzipped his suitcase, grabbing one of many pills and taking it with shaking hands. He zipped it back up and continued walking to his plane, pointedly ignoring Ben’s glare. He sighed in relief as the ghosts faded to shadows in the corner of his visions. 

Klaus’ arms burned a little from rolling the suitcase, but eventually he had gotten to the plane, passing his ticket along and shoving his case up in the overhead. Ben sat down next to him, smiling nervously at Klaus, a ball of anxiety in his chest. Klaus smiled back.

The flight passed without incident, no one even glancing a second look at Klaus, who managed to stay mostly quiet. There was only one ghost on the plane, besides Ben, of course, and even then it wasn’t screaming or anything. So that was nice. 

“Okay, Ladies and Gents,” The pilot said, snapping Klaus from his doze. “Be careful when grabbing your luggage from the overhead bins as some items may have shifted in flight. Thank you for flying with us.”

Klaus waited as the other passengers shuffled out of the plane before standing up to grab his own suitcase, walking down the aisle with fake confidence. He smiled at the flight attendants as he walked off of the plane, breathing in the cigarette smoke and exhaust. The flow of people brought him to a big map, which showed the surrounding cities of the airport. Klaus surveyed the map, Ben behind him.

“Hey, what about...this town?” Klaus asked him, placing his finger on the map without looking.

“W-Sunnydale?” Ben asked, raising an eyebrow. “Sounds like it’s full of hippies.”

“I like hippies,” Klaus whined. “Plus it’s better than,” He squinted at the map, “I don’t know, LA? Less murder, I’d guess.”

“Then LA, or then home?”

“Both, I’d say.” 

“Sunnydale it is, then.” Ben shook his head. “Let’s call a cab.”  
———————  
“Buffy, darling, you’re going to be late for school!” Joyce called up from downstairs, her hands clenched. Something deep down in her head told her Buffy has simply run away again, out through the window in the dead of night. But, Buffy has told her she wouldn’t run away again, had promised her. 

Sure enough, only a minute later she came running down the stairs, backpack flung haphazardly over her shoulder. “Coming Mom!”

“Careful.” Joyce reprimanded as her daughter skipped over the last few stairs. “I wouldn’t want you to get hurt.”

“I _won’t_ , Mom, promise.” Buffy rolled her eyes. “Besides, I’d heal before the end of the day.”

Right, because she wasn’t making up that whole...Slayer stuff. Joyce still had to wrap her head around that, and although she knew she would support Buffy no matter what, she still needed a little time to comprehend the fact that her daughter basically had superpowers, and even that didn’t stop Joyce from worrying about her.

“Have a great day at school, honey.” Joyce told her, leaning in to kiss her on the cheek. 

“Will do, Mom. Love you!” Buffy called, walking out the door.

“Love you more!” Joyce called back, sighing as the door swung shut. She sighed, walking to the living room. Buffy would be fine, she just needed to keep telling herself that.


	2. Gingerbread PT. 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW for Child Death (nom graphic, just a brief mention of their bodies)

Buffy’s day passes like normal, her classes blurring together in one very, very long lecture. Xander and Willow were still, however rightfully, moping around, and as much as Buffy loved a good pity party, it was starting to drag on. However many times Xander said he was over Cordelia or Willow saying she was going to talk with Oz, they just...didn’t. Well, Willow did talk to Oz, apparently, but not in a ‘I forgive you let’s get back together’ way, which wasn’t very rom-commy of him. 

Cordelia has made it very clear that she had no interest in Xander anymore, and as much as he insisted he didn’t care, Buffy could see the longing in his eyes. Cordy had started hanging out with a new chick, who Buffy was pretty sure was named Anya. There was still tension between the two, although Buffy could see why. 

The romantic drama of her friends aside, Buffy’s day was normal, boring.

Buffy’s hands itched to slay. 

Her chance came later that evening, some rustling bushes catching her attention. Buffy walked towards them, stake in hand. Her heart beating just a little faster, she shoved the bush aside to reveal a skinny guy who looked to be around her age, wearing a dark orange t-shirt that might have had a graphic on it at some point and skinny black pants. 

Buffy lunged at him on instinct, but he dodged out of the way, backing off defensively.

“Yeah, I see her now, Ben,” He said, making Buffy frown. There was a second one? “What do you want? I don’t have any cash on me!”

“I-“ Buffy was so stunned that she almost dropped her form. “Cash?” 

“That’s normally the reason people mug you, yes.” He teased. “But,” His expression darkened, “Like I said, I don’t have any. I don’t have a car, either, so there’s nothing I can give you.”

Buffy sighed, dropping her fists. This was just a...lost civilian. Whom she had almost punched his lights out.

“Sorry, my nerves are way too high.” She said. “I’m Buffy. I thought you were...nevermind.”

His gaze softened. “Klaus. It’s okay, I...I know the feeling.”

“Who’s Ben?” She asked.

“Oh, uh, my brother.” Klaus told her. “He’s-uh, yeah, he’s my bro. Ther.” 

Buffy nodded. “Whatcha doing out so late?” She asked.

“You know. Walking around and stuff. You?” He seemed nervous, which set off alarm bells in her head. 

“Oh, same, same.” She nodded awkwardly. “Um, you should go home. The streets get ugly at night. You’re new, right? I don’t think I’ve seen you around before.” 

“Yeah, I just arrived in town, like, a few hours ago. I’ve been looking for a motel or something-hey, you wouldn’t happen to know where anything like that is, would you?”

Buffy told him the address of the nearest one, wariness still lacing her frame. She was still waiting for him to lunge at her, bust out the vamp face so she could dust him. “Where are your parents?”

Klaus snorted. “Eight and a half states away. Don’t worry, he doesn’t care.” 

“You ran away?” Her heart panged, an awful type of nostalgia burning in her chest. 

“Something like that.” He looked to his side, and she raised her stake again before he huffed and looked back to her. “Thanks for the address, anyhow. I should get going.” He turned to walk away, but before he went too far, she called out to him.

“Klaus!”

“Yeah?” He asked.

“Uh. It’s the other way.”

He blinked, then laughed. “Thanks again.”

Klaus sauntered away, Buffy following him with her eyes until she couldn’t anymore. Something still felt _off_ about him, and although she couldn’t quite place it, she didn’t wanna just dismiss it entirely. Years of training had sharpened her instincts, and, okay, _maybe_ she was being a tad paranoid. But he just seemed...off, like vamps always did, but off in a different kind of way. 

A loud clanking drew her attention, and in a flash Buffy had raised her stake. She crept toward the sound, a voice catching her off guard.

“Is it a vampire?”

Buffy spun around to see her mother, holding a bag and a thermos. 

“Mom?” She asked. “What are you doing here?”

“I-I brought you a snack.” Her mom explained, holding up the thermos. “I thought it was about time for me to watch you, um, slay.”

“The slaying’s kind of an alone thing.” Buffy sniped, perhaps a bit harsher than was necessary. 

“It’s just such a big part of your life, and I’d like to understand it a bit better. Like, make it a thing we...share.” Buffy tried very hard not to roll her eyes. It was as if her mom didn’t hear anything she said. Besides, it was dangerous, and Buffy wanted at the very least to make sure she knew a little hand-to-hand combat. 

“It’s pretty dull, anyways.” Buffy lied. “Just, bam boom stake and, uh, dust.”

The bush rustled again, and Buffy moved quick, pushing her mom out of the way just as a vampire lunged out from it and ran right where Joyce had been. Buffy punches him in the face, hearing Joyce shout, “Kill him, honey!” in the background. 

He kicked at her and missed, she swung at him and didn’t. Back and forth they went, exchanging blows. Buffy had gotten a few good licks in before he turned and ran away, Buffy turning to glare at her mom, trying to signal _stay here_. 

Her pursuits led her down a block, the chase finally coming to an end when the vamp tripped over a garbage can and fell to the ground. Buffy quickly staked him, and he poofed into dust. She got up with a huff, already imagining the training that Giles would make her do once he learned about how much trouble this vampire gave her. Buffy started to walk back over to where she had left her mom, a sharp scream causing her to sprint over.

“Mom!” She shouted, sighing in relief when she saw her standing there, unharmed. “Are you okay?”

“I-oh, _Buffy_ ,” Joyce turned around to face her, tears starting to pour down her face.

“Mom, what happened?” Buffy asked, now even more concerned. She glanced past Joyce to the carousel, her eyes catching on the two dead children who were lying on the ground next to it. “Are they-?”

Joyce nodded numbly.

“Oh.” Buffy walked over to Joyce, gently directing her gaze away from the bodies. “It’s okay, Mom, it’s okay.”

“They were so young, Buffy.” Joyce cried. “Who would do this?”

“I’ll find who did this.” Buffy said. “I promise.” She sighed and looked back to the bodies. “For now, let’s call the police, they’ll be able to help.”

Joyce nodded again, and Buffy walked a few paces away, beginning to call 911, when a shadowy figure caught her attention. She turned to it, and it startled back, into a stoplight. Right where she could see his dark orange shirt and black, leather pants.

**Author's Note:**

> As always, let me know what you think or if there are any errors!


End file.
